need help deciding

[lew61]

I have been using my L4240 for fel work on a hillside and would not do so without having the rears loaded. This is my first tractor with HST and 4x4 and I am really liking it.

 

[GManBart]

Looking at those prices, and features, reminds me why I bought an LS. 47/38 HP, FEL, HST, 72" bucket, 48" forklift attachment, 2 rear remotes, etc, for $22,250. I'm not seeing another $10k to get the other colors. Of your choices, the Kubota looks like the winner on paper. I'd still go try all of them, just to be sure you're not missing anything. R,

 

[BigKid]

I went out and looked at all the machines again today. I like looking on a sunday when the dealers are closed because there is noone to bother me. I couldn't find much to sway me in any single direction. I am surprised the mahindra doesn't get more attention because it is deffinitely an impressive looking machine, not as popular as kubota or deere but man it sure looks like a beast. The kubota speaks for itself. Built solid and a great reputation, and the HST+ is very nice. I think i can say at this point that the deere is out. It's a nice unit but noway can i justify the cost difference when compared to the others. I am also really impressed by the build quality of the yanmar, but i think the dealer may be a bit high from what i have read on here. If i can get him down to about 28,000 with the addition of 3rd function loader valve and a set of forks it might be a hard deal to pass up. Then again i am also going to go back to kubota and ask for a little more off of the new machine and get a 2nd set of rear remotes as well as 3rd function loader valve. The mahindra dealer has already had to re work his numbers just to get to where he is now so i think getting anything else out of them is next to impossible.. I also get a bad feeling about what it will cost me for other attatchments down the road with the mahindra dealer. I asked him for a price for a ballast box as opposed to filling the tires, he calls me back with a price of 1,000 dollars. I laughed at him and told him he was crazy (which i don't think went over to well), but thats highway robbery for anyone, let alone someone that is going to buy a 30 thousand dollar tractor from you. The yanmar dealer is 2 hrs away but everytime i have e-mailed him he has e-mailed me back very quickly, even after hours, but the kubota dealer has also been around for a very long time and has a great reputation in the area. I am narrowing down my decision and hope to have it down to 1 in the next day or 2. Thank you once again for all the help. Keep the replies coming

 

[mjncad]

Have you actually test driven the machines yet? Although money is important, so is operating comfort and you plan on many hours of seat time so you should get something that feels natural to operate.

From what I've seen of Kubota's, they are built quite well; but I test drove one and the treadle system they use for their HST's was uncomfortable as he!! for me. I don't care if the Kubota was $5,000 cheaper than a comparable Deere, the Kubota's treadle would make operating the tractor miserable for me, and is a deal breaker.

 

[schweizer]

Did you happen to consider the Kioti DK45SE HST. When I bought mine just a few years ago $30k got me a FEL, filled tires, and a backhoe. Of course I think they're heavier than the other brands, which is something you don't want.

 

[Grandad4]

Just wanted to comment about your expectations regarding the weight of these machines. I think you're going to find the units you're considering will end up being darn near as heavy as your current Yanmar with the backhoe removed, particularly when you load the tires and such. There are all kinds of discussions here about what kind of trailer to put these things on, mostly concluding that this size of machine hits the ground in the real world between 5,000 to 6,000 lbs. You're right they will have larger tires and a larger chassis, but I'm just thinking if saving weight is a major reason you're shopping for new equipment, you really won't be doing much of that. If weight is truly important to you, get the dealers to give you a fully loaded weight estimate for each unit including FEL, bucket, an implement of your choice and loaded tires.

 

[BigKid]

Well let me start by once again thanking everyone for all the help in making this decision. Now as to the answers to the lst few replies. Yes i have been on each machine, but the yanmar that was in stock was not HST, but besides that i was able to get a feel for the hydraulics and basic feel of the machine. I will say that the treadle of the kubota was a bit awkward going from the the 2 pedal set up that i have now, but i have spent time on a kubota before and i did start to get used to the treadle after a few days of use, but i do prefer the 2 pedals vs the treadle. In regards to looking at Kioti, i have looked at them but of the 3 dealers i have that are in the area, none of the 3 were willing to take my trade because they said they don't have the market for a construction grade machine, so that was the end of Kioti. As to the weight of the new machine vs what i currently have. Yes i have thought about the weight of what i currently have and what it would be if i removed the backhoe and filled the tires. From what i figured the weight would still be quite a bit more than the machines i am currently lookin at, with the exception of the mahindra which would be about the same. So i am looking at a bigger wider tire on a lighter machine and if i put on turf tires as suggested on here i could use the machine on manicured lawns with much less damage which is my goal. Now to make things even more difficult, i got a call from the deere dealer today and i told him i was not going with deere because the numbers just didn't make sense. He asked where he would need to be to make the deal and i told him atleast 3000 more for my trade and and 1000 more off of his machine. He told me he was going to work on the numbers because he wasn't going to lose a sale to another dealer. He also told me that deere does offer 0% for 72 months but it cost more to take advantage of that plan, but he would cover that difference to make the deal. On top of that he said that their is a special going on and that he could give me 500 off of a 2nd implement such as a box blade, or i could get something such as a york rake for free because he would sell it to me at his cost so the 500 would cover it. Now i have some serious thinking to do. I never expected him to get so aggressive to make the sale. I do have history with him already because i bought my zero turn mower from him as well as all my stihl handhelds so maybe that has something to do with it. Decisions decisions

 

[TripleR]

You sure do have a conundrum, good news is either way you go, you will have a nice machine and be happy.

We own John Deere and Kuobota, my wife hates the two pedal system on the John Deere and it is almost a wash for me with an ever so slight preference for the treadle; definitely not a deal breaker as I am comfortable with either.

 

[Grandad4]

As to the weight of the new machine vs what i currently have. Yes i have thought about the weight of what i currently have and what it would be if i removed the backhoe and filled the tires. From what i figured the weight would still be quite a bit more than the machines i am currently lookin at, with the exception of the mahindra which would be about the same. So i am looking at a bigger wider tire on a lighter machine and if i put on turf tires as suggested on here i could use the machine on manicured lawns with much less damage which is my goal.

Not to belabor the point, but just to reassure myself that I wasn't totally senile and out to lunch, here's what the online spec sheets say, using the Kubota as an example:

L4240: Tractor (3,671) + FEL (1,300) + FEL bucket (322) + tire juice (1,000) = 6,293 lbs
http://www.kubota.ca/en/productdetail.aspx?trail=0|30|37|100|104&prodid=270#tab=2

CBL40 Tractor (7,750) - Backhoe (1,660) + tire juice (800) = 6,890 lbs
YANMAR | CBL40

Couldn't find the weight of the Yannie backhoe, so the above weight is for the one on an L45, a similar 10ft. BH. The CBL40 has smaller tires, therefore less ballast. So I think you're only saving something like 600 lbs on the ground unless you take the FEL off. The other makes would be similar, except the Mahindra, which is really heavy as you noted.

All the best of success with your shopping and haggling, though. You'll have some fine equipment no matter which you choose.

 

[BigKid]

If the cbl 40 had bigger tires the damage to turf and the depth of the ruts would be much less. I have ran a 110TLB and with all conditions being equal the ruts that it left were much less than the cbl 40. Don't get me wrong, the yanmar cbl 40 is an excellent machine. It has done everything i have wanted it to do in terms of excavating and the more i threw at it the more it would do. It surprised me numerous times with its capabilities. The only areas it's lacking a little is the PTO hp. Other than that it has never let me down. The problem is that i used to do alot more construction jobs, and now my foce has shifted to landscaping jobs. One of the reasons for that is because of all the competition around here in terms of excavating. You see ads all the time advertising full size backhoe with operator for 300-400 per day. I used to charge 75 per hour and i thought that was cheap. So with that being said i started advertising more on the landscaping end of things and it has paid off. It just seems kinda pointless to do a mulching job spreading 20 yards of mulch with a wheel barrow when i have a 40 thousand dollar machine sitting in the garage. If i can get a tractor, (even if it is only 500-1000 pounds lighter), with wider tires that will provide better flotation it will get used a lot more, and save my back in the process. The only thing left to do is make a decision, but that seems to be harder than i thought it would be. Will see what happens tomorrow when i meet with the deere dealer again.